1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to light fixtures, and, more particularly, to light fixtures which are mounted on an underside of a furniture element, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
Light fixtures are known which mount to the underside of a furniture element such as the underside of a shelf or cabinet. Such a light can then illuminate a worksurface, and may therefore be referred to as a task light. Typically, such light fixtures are mounted to the furniture element by way of fasteners such as screws. A screw hole template is required in order to accurately drill screw holes in the furniture element which match the corresponding mounting hole pattern in the light fixture. After the holes are drilled, the light fixture must be held to the underside of the furniture element so that the screws can be inserted through the mounting holes and screwed into the underside of the furniture element. This process is difficult at best, particularly for a single person, in that it is difficult to both hold the light fixture in place and screw the fasteners. The mounting process can be even more difficult in that there may be not enough vertical space available between the worksurface and the underside of the furniture element to easily use an electric screwdriver. In general, the process of mounting such a task light can be difficult for a single installer, time consuming and tedious. Further, repair of such a fixture may require dismounting the light fixture as access to the side of the light fixture which is adjacent to the underside of the furniture element may be necessary in order to repair the light fixture. Remounting of the light fixture, although not requiring redrilling of the mounting holes, nonetheless has most of the disadvantages of the original mounting process.
A light fixture is known with a mounting arrangement for the light fixture in overhead cabinets and the like which is adapted to removably mount to a light fixture in an overhead storage unit, or cabinet of a modular furniture. However, this fixture requires fairly complex fasteners which mate with legs which are mounted to the furniture. The fasteners have components which can easily break during the installation of the light fixture. The components of the fasteners snap together with components of the corresponding mating legs, and a slight misalignment of the fixture relative to the legs causes interferences, which if forced, can result in fracture of the components. A further disadvantage is that the furniture needs to be modified by the installation of the mating legs. A further disadvantage is that the relatively fragile fasteners and legs can be damaged during shipping or other handling such as installation.
A shelf and light module assembly which includes mounting slots formed in the sides of the light module which mate with corresponding and projecting members. Disadvantages of this design include that the slots reduce the strength of the light module assembly, and require an additional machining or punching operation, and alignment with the projecting members. Other disadvantages include that the light is not self-supporting during the installation process and therefore is not easily mounted or dismounted, and the projecting members can easily be broken off if the slot is misaligned.
What is needed in the art is a method and apparatus for mounting a light fixture to the underside of a furniture element, which is cost effective to manufacture, which allows easy installation and repair of the light fixture, which is reliable in service and which resists shipping damage.